The rhino horn party of the rich in Vietnam

The luxury world associated with rhino horns of the rich in Vietnam was revealed through photos by American photographer Justin Mott on Justinmott.photoshelter.com

Published in Vietnam by Vietnamnet.

Demand for rhino horns in Vietnam is growing strongly in recent years. This demand comes from the notion that rhino horns are a special drug, particularly a good aphrodisiac for men.

Along with economic development, rhino horns have appeared in the parties for the rich in Vietnam.

To have this powder, raw rhino horns are ground with a special ceramic plate. You can recognize this type of plate through the image of a rhino on it.

Besides the rich, another group of people use rhino horns for believing in a fairy tale that rhino horns can cure all types of cancer.

Apart from the direct users, many people use rhino horn as the "tribute" to bribe their superiors or as "lubrication" for business affairs.

Although rhino horns are use for any purpose, they have ignored the fact that a rare species that have existed on Earth for 50 million years is on the verge of extinction.

Most rhino horns in Vietnam are originated from poaching activities in South Africa. They are smuggled by air to Vietnam. Many rhino horn trafficking cases have been detected at the airports.

Prohibited by law, the only way to reach rhino horns is the black market.

The price for rhino horns in Vietnam is around VND1.3 billion (nearly $70,000)/1kg. This is a crazy number in a country where per capita income is only about VND35 million ($1,700)/year. And it is crazier when that amount of money is spent for something that science has proven that its medical value is no higher than buffalo horns or cow horns.

According to experts, Vietnam is the only country in the world where rhino horn grinding plates are mass produced. In photo: An advertisement for rhino horn grinding plates.

Bat Trang pottery village in Hanoi produces this instrument. Here, the trade in rhino horn grinding plates is open to the public.

Conservationists said that demand for rhino horns from Vietnam is an important cause that pushes African rhinos to the brink of extinction.

There is only one way to end rhino hunting. It is the end of using them in traditional medicine. This requires radical changes of childish notions of Vietnamese people.